title: Needle fibers of an azo-dye mixture induce polyploidy in a Chinese hamster cell line CHL.
abstract: In a routine Safety evaluation of chemicals included in household products, we found a mixture of azo dyes (CMBA, main component: N-[5-[(2-cyanoethyl)ethylamino]-4-methoxy-2-[(5-nitro-2,1-benzisothiazol-3-yl)azo]phenyl] acetamide) that precipitated in the culture medium in a characteristic fiber form (around 2 - 33 microm in length) similar to that of asbestos. We compared CMBA with an asbestos, chrysotile B, in a cytotoxicity, chromosome aberration (CA), and micronucleus (MN) test in a Chinese hamster lung cell line (CHL). In the cytotoxicity test, the 50% growth inhibition concentration was 11.0 microg/ml for CMBA and 0.398 microg/ml for chrysotile B asbestos. CMBA and chrysotile B both induced polyploidy in the CA test and equal-sized binucleated and polynuclear cells in the MN test. CMBA differs from chrysotile B chemically. The former is an organic chemical and the latter is a mineral. Although CMBA is soluble in methanol and can be safely disposed by burning, it should be handled carefully when manufactured in a factory.
authors.affiliation: matsuoka@nihs.go.jp
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Yoshie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Masa-aki
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kaniwa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001194:Asbestos / Q000633:toxicity; D017632:Asbestos, Serpentine / Q000633:toxicity; D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D002460:Cell Line; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000187:drug effects; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D011123:Polyploidy
chemical_list: D017632:Asbestos, Serpentine; D001391:Azo Compounds; D004396:Coloring Agents; D001194:Asbestos